Members A. Realist Posted December 20, 2004 Members Posted December 20, 2004 I've been playing acoustic fingerstyle guitar for over 30 years- and I'm lucky enough to have some nice examples that range the spectrum of tonewoods, brands and prices- Martin D-15, a D-35, a Taylor 910, Santa Cruz FS, Larrivee OM 010 and a Tacoma KOA EKK19 whatever (beautiful guitar by the way)... Was out looking a guitar for my son-I wanted to stay within a 500.00 - 700.00 price range-I played them all- including entry-level Taylors, Martins along with an endless examples of IBENEZ, Fenders,TaKs and Yamaha's. Was most impressed with the sustain and tone of a Garrison AG700 CE (acoustic electric cutaway) Soild Cedar top lamanent rosewood sides and back- abalone inlays- impressive tone. Not sure why Garrison is not taken more seriously in this forum- I imagine it's a aversion to the "Acoustic Bracing" that makes up the frame. If your looking for a solid well made entry-level acoustic electric guitar for yourself or for a teenager- check out what Garrison has to offer.
Members Andrewrg Posted December 21, 2004 Members Posted December 21, 2004 I hear and read good things about Garrison. I dont understand the aversion to synthetic materials;if it sounds good etc.And yet all metal resonators with a loudspeaker cone inside are readily accepted! Strange.
Members Fstpicker Posted December 21, 2004 Members Posted December 21, 2004 I've heard the new ones with the laminated sides and backs (made in Asia) sound better than the previous all-solid wood models. Hmm...more doesn't always mean better. Jeff
Members madog99 Posted December 21, 2004 Members Posted December 21, 2004 I've just started playing with a guy who has a G-50 , very nice guitar .
Members Tony Burns Posted December 23, 2004 Members Posted December 23, 2004 Now this is my personal opinion- but Id stay away from stuff like that- that plastic type bracing on the inside will come back to haunt you 20 or 30 years from now, I dont think they will stand the test of time- my older guitars are my most cherished, the woods as they get older sound better, Id wonder about plastic either getting brittle ( which some do ) and the adhesives plus the plastic may hold back some of the tonal qualities - hey I know what a few of you think, what about ovation - well they dont get better in sound as much as other guitars have-- I have an old ovation acoustic electric - which is a nice guitar, but it will never be great.
Members GN-Nick Posted December 23, 2004 Members Posted December 23, 2004 The way I pick guitars is by playing them and then taking home the one I can't leave behind. If Garrison does that for you, by all means buy it. What someone else says, who probably doesn't own one anyway, is irrelevant.
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted December 23, 2004 Members Posted December 23, 2004 Been wanting to try out a Garrison, but haven't run across one yet.
Members ryanspeer Posted December 23, 2004 Members Posted December 23, 2004 You know, I've played a few Garrisons (can't remember the models) at a local store and although they did sound good, I was really pretty non-plussed - especially based on the "reviews" quoted in their adds in guitar magazines. It wasn't a bad guitar by any means, but nothing about it made it seem "great" or honestly even above average in a noteworthy way. In fact, I was disappointed by the guitar's weight, which I assume is attributed to the internal bracing. They all had good tone and a good overall feel, but again, nothing about them made them stand out above the rest to me. I've heard better Tacomas in that price range, better Takamini's, and of course better Taylors. For the money, I wouldn't settle on one, personally. Just my $.02.
Members madog99 Posted December 23, 2004 Members Posted December 23, 2004 I was pretty unimpressed in the store too but my buddys G50 had really grown on me.He plays a lot of fingerstyle and drop tunings and man that thing really shines. I think that Buzz Feiting system must help in the that regard.
Members franchelB Posted December 24, 2004 Members Posted December 24, 2004 Originally posted by Terry Allan Hall Been wanting to try out a Garrison, but haven't run across one yet. Lancaster Music has some Garrison guitars. But back to the subject...Personally, I like the idea of Griffiths Active Bracing System. I, for one, would like to hear the sound of an acoustic guitar(from modern "improvement" gadgets) built that's unlike any Martin/traditional built guitar available on the market today.
Members tdawgodopolus Posted December 24, 2004 Members Posted December 24, 2004 I have a Garrison G40. I played the thing, and took it home an hour later after playing the guitar. Pluses:- Very good string to string articulation- Balanced sound from low strings to high strings- I love the feel of the neck- Very good tone Minuses:- Low headroom. The guitar doesn't like being driven hard- The weight of the guitar wasn't much of an issue testing the guitar while sitting. Standing with the guitar, though, for an hour at a time, does make you "feel" the weight. All in all, I love the guitar. The GAS doesn't happen so much anymore when I browse around (I live 2 minutes from a guitar store). Every now and then there's a Breedlove dread that calls to me. Beyond that guitar, though, I can play most guitars and not feel the GAS attack coming on.
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted December 27, 2004 Members Posted December 27, 2004 Originally posted by franchelB Lancaster Music has some Garrison guitars. OK...thanks for the skinny! But back to the subject... Personally, I like the idea of Griffiths Active Bracing System. I, for one, would like to hear the sound of an acoustic guitar(from modern "improvement" gadgets) built that's unlike any Martin/traditional built guitar available on the market today. They strike me as something interesting to check out!
Members Gnurk Posted January 11, 2005 Members Posted January 11, 2005 Originally posted by Tony Burns Now this is my personal opinion- but Id stay away from stuff like that- that plastic type bracing on the inside will come back to haunt you 20 or 30 years from now, I dont think they will stand the test of time. The AG400 goes for about $300. Why would a $300 guitar have to last for 30 years? I'll be dead in 30 years from now! This petrifying fear of heat, humidity, UV light, careless youth and scratching picks terrorises the joy of making music. Good $300 guitars have an important role to play in this world. As to the AGs (Chinese) sounding better than the Gs (Canadese) I tried almost the whole range in the past months and I agree. I found none of the Gs sounded better than the AG400 and the AG700, which are excellent guitars, even disregarding the ridiculously low price. It's a bit a taste thing of course, I like cedar and in the G series it only comes with birch which I don't like. The AGs have drawbacks though. The worst is that they need servicing right out of the box. The strings rattle on ALL of them. But as far as I am concerned the AG400 is the most guitar per buck around at the moment. What a nice toy! Gnurk
Members EvilTwin Posted January 14, 2005 Members Posted January 14, 2005 I was blown away by the G-20 I played a few months ago. Amazing balance and projection. The thing just sang. If the AG's are actually better...I'll definitely have to get one. All of that said...they're definitely take it or leave it guitars...much in the same way Taylor or Ovation are. Garrisons have a distinct sound (I'd describe them as very TIGHT -- not "cool" tight, but actually a sound that you'd imagine feeling tight) like a Taylor, and have the synthetic materials like an Ovation (which some people can just never get passed). I thought I'd hate 'em. Now I love them.
Members alan814 Posted January 16, 2005 Members Posted January 16, 2005 I too have been impressed with the Garrisons. In 2002 I was going to trade a G series Tak for a Taylor (I was thinking of the Big Baby). When I got to the store they had just gotten in some Garrisons. After trying a couple of the Garrisons and the Big Baby and another Taylor, I ended up taking the Garrison G-10 home. The G-10 has the all birch body (back, sides & top). I was just blown away with the ease of play and the great sound. After trading the Tak, I had less than $200 in the Garrison. Shortly after I got together to play with a friend who possess a very nice Martin limited edition model he has owned for several years. I was very pleased to discover the Garrison played as well and sounded as good as his Martin. At least the Garrison sounded that way to me. My wife agreed. I just this past week obtained a Garrison AG700. The 700 is the top of the line in the import series Garrison is now offering. This thing plays absolutely wonderful and has a beautiful sound. I've never had a cedar top on a guitar before and I must say I really really love this guitar. I'll add that I still do own one Tak (one of the Japanese made models) and really like it, but the Garrisons really give it a run for the money. My biggest complaint about Garrisons - I love sunburst tops and they don't yet offer one. They also don't offer any size other than dreadnaught. Since that's pretty much all I've ever had that doesn't bother me, but I know some people like the smaller sizes. Anyway, thanks for letting me add my 2 cents. I love this forum and hope to be able to add more later.
Members EvilTwin Posted January 18, 2005 Members Posted January 18, 2005 Originally posted by alan814 I too have been impressed with the Garrisons. In 2002 I was going to trade a G series Tak for a Taylor (I was thinking of the Big Baby). When I got to the store they had just gotten in some Garrisons. After trying a couple of the Garrisons and the Big Baby and another Taylor, I ended up taking the Garrison G-10 home. The G-10 has the all birch body (back, sides & top). I was just blown away with the ease of play and the great sound. After trading the Tak, I had less than $200 in the Garrison. Shortly after I got together to play with a friend who possess a very nice Martin limited edition model he has owned for several years. I was very pleased to discover the Garrison played as well and sounded as good as his Martin. At least the Garrison sounded that way to me. My wife agreed. I just this past week obtained a Garrison AG700. The 700 is the top of the line in the import series Garrison is now offering. This thing plays absolutely wonderful and has a beautiful sound. I've never had a cedar top on a guitar before and I must say I really really love this guitar. I'll add that I still do own one Tak (one of the Japanese made models) and really like it, but the Garrisons really give it a run for the money. My biggest complaint about Garrisons - I love sunburst tops and they don't yet offer one. They also don't offer any size other than dreadnaught. Since that's pretty much all I've ever had that doesn't bother me, but I know some people like the smaller sizes. Anyway, thanks for letting me add my 2 cents. I love this forum and hope to be able to add more later. Yup, this is a great forum for respectfully giving opinions and getting answers. Welcome aboard.
Members FingerBone Bill Posted January 18, 2005 Members Posted January 18, 2005 I've played on a few Garrisons. Despite an initial prejudice against plastic I have to admit they make some nice guitars - especially the cedar tops. I wouldn't worry too much about the longevity issue - for one thing I would imagine Garrisons would be less susceptible to cracking - and I also suspect the glass fibre components will still be around long after the wood becomes termite fodder!
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